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The Simpsons HD opening credits

From February 2009, The Simpsons is aired in High Definition and widescreen. Due to
this new format, the opening credits sequence had to be reanimated. While the credits
largely follow the same pattern, there are many differences, including new characters,
scenes and running gags! We've meticulously listed them below.

Pan into Springfield

In the very first scene, a three-eyed crow flies past. It caws as we move into a
sweep over the power plant - this is the same crow we've heard from every past
establishing shot of the plant.

From there we go past the tire fire and to Springfield Town Square, where Kearney
and Jimbo saw off the head of Jebediah Springfield. It lands on Ralph Wiggum.

Next we follow a road towards Springfield Elementary. Look out for: The
Android's Dungeon and Baseball Card Shop, Phineas Q. Butterfat's Ice
Cream Parlour (with Marge-esque cone on top), Lardlad Donuts (the
three-eyed crow sits atop the donut), and a billboard. Initially the billboard
said Krusty: Now Doing Funerals but it has become a new running gag,
changing every episode.

Bart's Blackboard Gag

This is still largely the same; however, notice the framed photo of Homer as an
astronaut on the wall. When Bart flies off the school steps, he lands on a pile of
leaves, which it turns out are covering Barney. He lets out a belch as
Groundskeeper Willie shakes his fist.

Power Plant

Homer still leaves work with plutonium stuck to his back. In the background,
however, Burns and Smithers are absent: instead, Lenny and Carl try to add a day
to the "no accident" count, but Lenny falls off the ladder.

Supermarket

Patty & Selma buy a trolley-load of cigarettes. When Maggie is scanned, the
running total on the checkout doubles from $243.26 to $486.52 (i.e. she 'costs'
$243.26), as opposed to her previous price of $847.63. Matt
Groening stated the original figure was the monthly cost of raising a baby in
America - does this mean that 20 years later, it's much cheaper?

Among the magazines are Donut Fancy, Anxious Mother and
Peephole. An advert on the back of Marge's magazine reads Absolut
Krusty. Marge is buying Frosty Krusty O's, Mr. Sparkle, and
Tomacco Juice.

When Maggie is plonked in the trolley, Gerald (the monobrow baby) is in the
neighbouring trolley. They shake their fists at each other.

Lisa's saxophone solo

Back at the school, several new kids have joined the band practice:

Martin Prince

Database

Ham (one of the Superfriends)

Cosine (one of the Superfriends)

Richard (an old character from the first Season!)

A Jessica Lovejoy look-a-like, with purple hair and clothing

Colin (from the movie)

A photo of Bleeding Gums Murphy is on the wall behind them. Sherri and Terri are
playing handheld consoles instead of flutes. Lisa does her usual solo, but now she
pops her head back round the door after leaving.

Round town

Otto catches and eats Homer's plutonium when Homer throws it out the car.

As Bart skateboards past the shops, there are some character changes. Sideshow Bob
swipes at him with a machete. Bleeding Gums Murphy and Jaques are no longer
present, and Barney has been replaced by Comic Book Guy (since Barney was busy
sleeping under some leaves!). Helen Lovejoy, Apu, Moe and Chief Wiggum remain -
though Apu is with his eight kids (previously he was walking a dog). Disco Stu,
Crazy Cay Lady and Big Rich Texan are new. (Why those three characters were chosen
I'll never know!)

As Bart skates across the road, Hans Moleman lifts the manhole cover and pops his
head up from the sewer. Marge runs over the cover, pushing Moleman back down.

Maggie still appears to be driving the car for a few seconds, however, on the pan
out, Grampa is also in the car. When Marge and Maggie toot their horns, he wakes
up startled and his teeth fall out. Also note Maggie's upgraded Krusty
brand steering wheel.

Pan across Springfield

The super-fast pan across Springfield appears to be more-or-less the same, but
there are quite a few differences. A Duff blimp flies at the far left of the
scene, and El Barto graffiti is on the wall.

Driveway & Couch gag

On the driveway, instead of being comically chased into the living room by Marge's
car, she now hits Homer and he goes flying through the wall, leaving a cartoony
outline.

The couch gags appear to follow the same format - though the first HD episode's
couch gag in extremely long and convoluted. The notable change here is that the
family are now watching a HD widescreen television - though it falls off the wall
and smashes!

Alterations

The second HD episode, How the Test Was Won, made a few changes to the
opening sequence:

At the very beginning, the crow flies right-to-left instead of left-to-right.

When the statue head falls on him, Ralph says it's dark! instead of
aah!